Friday

Secretly, every guy wants to be "Bad to the Bone" -- someone who drinks one bourbon, one scotch and one beer and does it alone.

Although the songs that legendary rocker George Thorogood has made famous during his nearly 45-year career don't have an intentional common theme, they are universal to the human experience, according to the man who recorded them.

"Every guy wants to be bad, and every girl wants a bad guy," he said. "Tell me a guy who doesn't want to be bad like Steve McQueen. Just about all of us have been unlucky in love. Sometimes you drink alone."

Thorogood and his longtime band, The Destroyers, will be in Wilmington Tuesday, Oct. 9, at Cape Fear Community College's Wilson Center in downtown Wilmington.

Thorogood's songs have resonated with fans since 1978, when he recorded and released "Move It on Over," a remake of a famous Hank Williams song. In 1979 he reworked Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?" punctuated with his signature slide guitar and growling vocals.

Following were such classics as "I Drink Alone," "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" and 1982's "Bad to the Bone," a song that has been in countless movies, television shows and commercials ranging from "Terminator 2" and "Miami Vice" to "Alvin and the Chipmunks."

"If people enjoy your songs, you're halfway there," Thorogood said.

Delaware native Thorogood and his band, originally called the Delaware Destroyers, have recorded more than 20 albums and sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. His latest album, 2017's "Party of One" (Rounder Records), is Thorogood's first solo acoustic album, on which he plays songs by his favorite blues artists and biggest influences, from Robert Johnson to Bob Dylan.

Thorogood and the Destroyers gained mainstream exposure supporting the Rolling Stones during a 1981 U.S. tour, but built their fan base with a relentless touring schedule, once touring all 50 states in 50 days. The band still performs at least 70 gigs a year, and Thorogood, 68, said he enjoys taking the stage as much now as he did when he started.

"Today, touring is better than ever," he said. "You have better PA systems, better buses, better hotel accommodations. We used to travel around in an old Chevy and stay in the cheapest hotels we could afford. A lot of the places we used to play were not top of the line."

Concert tickets have significantly increased in price since Thorogood and The Destroyers first hit the road, and that's why he said giving audiences a great show each and every time is essential.

"Only the good acts last because people won't pay money for a lousy show," he said. "That's why (we) can't have any weak spots."

Thorogood has two advantages: a catalog of beloved songs and a band with a relentless rock drive.

"Music is the one thing in the world everyone likes," he said. "People might not like sports, or sex, or themselves, but they all like music. I'm waiting for anyone to point out someone who doesn't like music."

"Rock and roll never dies," he added. "It just passes out."

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